New Zealand is donating NZ$200,000 to provide relief
supplies following the powerful cyclone which struck eastern
India last week, Associate Foreign Minister Simon Upton
announced today.
The donation will go towards the Red
Cross appeal and comes from the Disaster Relief allocation
in New Zealand’s Overseas Development Assistance
programme.
Mr Upton said the cyclone was the worst to hit
India’s Bay of Bengal coastline in three decades, with winds
reaching up to 260kph.
"The cyclone has devastated the
state of Orissa. Thousands have been killed; at least 1.5
million people have been left homeless, and up to another 10
million people have reportedly been affected in some way."
Mr Upton said.
He said the United Nations had mobilised a
team to assist UN agencies in India with damage assessment,
and to coordinate international disaster
relief.
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